


No Guts No Glory

by superego



Series: Rolling With The Punches [4]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Boxing & Fisticuffs, Boxing Gyms, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Some feels, Sparring, and other martial arts I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 04:51:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8476087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superego/pseuds/superego
Summary: Their first "date" is taking place in a boxing gym, of course.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how many more installments I'm going to put out there, at this point, I almost feel sorry for spamming the Daredevil fandom. I have a knack for combat sports myself and I have to say that sparring can be more homoerotic than anyone's willing to admit.  
> Look and enjoy, folks. Comments are as always appreciated.

Frank tried to be the best possible version of himself, he really did. He wanted to be considerate, you see, taking Matt out, making him feel special. Matt even pointed out to him on various occasions that due to him being blind, Frank's scent and voice was all the more special to him.  
Matt saw the world differently, because he couldn't actually see. He had a different way of seeing things, of hearing things.  
Frank could attract Matt's attention with no effort whatsoever, simply by being himself. He was far from perfect; angry, that nobody can deny, but he never took it out on his newly found friends or Matt.  
He actually gravitated towards Frank's choleric nature, loud and bright, always looking for the thrust and cuts of a fight. Much like Matt himself, he really fucking feared being powerless or ineffectual, but at the same time, Matt didn't mind letting down his guard every once in a while around Frank. Because Frank also was a caregiver and Matt liked to think that he helped him ground himself from time to time.

Tossing and turning in his bed, he finally got an idea. Matt mentioned once that his father was a boxer and it just so happened that Frank knew from the second on he walked into a boxing gym, that that's where his heart belonged. So, what better place to take Matt?  
Mentally patting himself on the shoulder, he rolled over and fell in a fitful sleep shorty after.

   
  
  


* * *

  
  


"Rise and grind, Red." he greeted Matt as he picked him up at the boys home, carrying a duffel bag with him.

"Good morning, Frank. What's that for?" Matt replied, voice still thick with sleep.

"Wanna go to the boxing gym with me?"

"How romantic, can you even box?"

"Take a wild guess on where I got my nose broken."

Matt seemed hesitant but still agreed on going, after quickly getting his gear and collapsing his cane when he returned. Instead, he took Frank's hand without asking or making a big deal about it.

"Lead the way."

   
  


* * *

  
  
  


The first thing that hit Matt when Frank unlocked and shoved open the gym door was the familiar, heavy stench of sweat, he recognized the beat up and dirty mats underneath his feet and the creaking wooden floors. It's an old school boxing gym, where there weren't any classes. People came and went as they pleased, often times washed-up boxers and cops.  
In fact, he'd recognized old Fogwell's gym after all those years.

"You alright, Red?"

"Yeah. My dad used to train here and I always sat somewhere trying to figure out how to read braille." Matt said quietly, wandering off in his mind.  
Jack always urged his son to turn to books and knowledge instead of physical violence, in order to escape poverty. Especially as Matt went blind, Jack felt the responsability to ensure that his son will have a better future than himself.  
It all just sort of happened. He pushed the old man away, he fell to the ground, tasted dirt in his mouth and the reek of chemicals was everywhere.  
The world that once was so remarkable and endless enclosed all of the sudden, turning dark, dull and bland. Everything that once reflected and held colour turned lightless.

But Matt definitely adapted his father's way of getting through life, taking on each opponent one by one, fight by fight. Having drilled the lesson that "Murdocks always get back up" into his son and leaving him an orphan because he got involved with the wrong people. He won a big match, earned money for Matt and then died at the hands of a mobster. He was a man worn down by poverty, feeling that a noble death was the only decent way to go out so he could teach his son a final lesson on pride.

"No one really comes here anymore, I had to ask the janitor for the keys. So we have the place all to ourselves, if you wanna." Frank tried, gently.

Matt smirked reluctantly. "My dad would have liked you. Anyways, we should get warmed up, don't you think?"

Even though Jack never wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, fighting was a part of him.  
He was a typical working class brawler and Matt was no stranger to violence from an early age on, while other kids were busy with learning the fifty states by heart. Jack would have sympathized with Frank.

Matt followed Frank to the lockers where they started undressing and him turning away from Frank a bit, not sure about exposing himself quite yet.

"Looking good there, Red." Frank said delightedly, smacking his palm against Matt's defined abs, making the tips of his ears turning bright red.

"That's not fair! I can't even see you." Matt said, donning a sleeveless shirt.

"Have fun sparring with me then." Frank laughed, not mentioning that he actually left the lights out. There was a dim, yellow-ish light in the gym that he could make use of, though.

"Whatever you say." Matt mused, touching gloves with Frank before putting his hands up and tucking his chin in, intently listening. Frank was a harsh and forceful presence anyways, his heartbeat rhythmical as he danced around Matt, trying to step out in an angle.  
Matt jabbed straight and Frank whistled through his teeth as he slipped Matt's punches, trying to get on the inner side but being kept at arms-length. Frank was amazed, to say the least. He could barely see in this lousy lightening, now being given a glimpse of what it's like for Matt to maneuver without sight. He had well-honed postures nevertheless, throwing punches effortlessly so Frank wouldn't see them coming.

Frank's head jerked back, his vision darkening for a split second as he was caught by an overhand on the jaw, but shrugged it off quickly and retaliated with a hook to the body.  
That knocked the air out of Matt's lungs, but he reacted fast, pulling Frank into a clinch, which then turned into a full-on choke hold, with Frank encircling Matt's neck with his arms and applying some pressure. Though he was careful not to do any permanent damage.

Matt gritted his teeth, pushing his chin down so he could breathe and felt for the waistband of the other boy's shorts, while holding onto his shoulder with the other hand. He slid his arm underneath Frank's thigh, creating a leverage and throwing him over his shoulder with a hitch.

The ring's ground was padded, but so beat up after years of use that it was of no service to Frank's head, at all.

"Holy shit, Red, you fucking flipped me." Frank groand.

Matt grinned smugly, pinning Frank down with one knee against his hip. Discarding his gloves to the side, he put his wrapped hands flat against Frank's trembling chest, feeling his heartbeat skyrocketing. He was boxed in, the smell of sweat and steel in the air and Frank pulled once again at Matt's neck, kissing him on the mouth, setting free endorphines in his brain, heat flaring up in his body, making him feel like he's burning up inside. In Frank's very limited experience with guys, even a kiss should be a fight for dominance for him, grappling and struggling.  
But he merely tugged at the hem of Matt's shirt, keeping him close by the neck as a display of strength, despite his unusually submissive position.  
Their teeth clicked, with Matt biting down on Frank's lower lip. His head was spinning, because he'd kissed girls but this felt so much better, felt right to him.

The kiss didn't last long but it was enough for now, it was everything.

Here they were, no one else around with no where else to be. Frank growled throaty, slipping a foot behind Matt's ankle and making him fall over, quickly claiming the upperhand again.  
Matt gasped, his eyes gleaming, his pupils dilating as calloused fingertips slid over his flushed face, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He was looking straight into Matt's eyes, he could feel it, the gaze almost palpable.

"I'm so crazy about you, Matt, it's not even funny." Frank mumbled, never being one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he felt like he needed to tell Matt, because he never did. He needed to give him some kind of reassurance that Frank really, really cared about him.  
They don't say anything out loud then, but the tone of Matt's silence and the set of his face tells Frank that his feelings were in deed returned.

Matt actually wondered when Frank was going to bite him for getting too close, but that was of no importance right now.


End file.
